Measles in 2017

[Beansonapost]

Just saw a tweet by NHS about outbreaks in Leeds and Liverpool ...in people who haven't had the MMR vaccine.

Why is this happening in 2017 Britain?

I know why, but why?!!! I just can't get my head around the no vaccine logic 😐?

I'm worried about my 8 month old and the rest of the population who are immuno compromised ... I grew up in a "third world country" and the last I heard of measles was in the 90s. Chicken pox is still a fairly common illness there, but not measles. Vaccines are non-negotiable and all children must be before entering school... as a "third world country" resources aren't there to manage an outbreak of any sort, hence the policy.

Is this a developed country problem? Or is it that we've forgotten what these diseases are really like?

Does immigration not affect these statistics? Surely a lot of the children who come from abroad will come from varying backgrounds of immunisation schemes?

"Abroad", most countries have vaccinations programmes too. As said previously on the thread all European countries, including Eastern Europe have MMR programmes. It's far more likely the idiots who believe that whale website or homeopaths who don't use the rational brain they have.

I was told by my previous GP that 95% of people given MMR jab become immune. They give a 2nd jab to try and catch the 5% that didn't gain immunity the 1st time. Of that 5% only a further 2% will gain immunity - so there will still be unprotected people amongst those who are vaccinated. Just a fact for all those who have been tested in pregnancy and found to be at risk.

My DD (now 34) was vaccinated against measles when she was 18 months old,but still caught it when she was 8 years old! Admittedly it was very mild (a slight rash,temperature slightly raised). I didn't know what it was at first,measles didn't even enter my head as she'd been vaccinated against it. My doctor confirmed it was measles by the presence of white patches inside her cheeks known as Koplik's Spots. She said it was still possible to catch measles even if you've been vaccinated against it,but it would be much milder. So when I've had people saying to me they haven't had their kids vaccinated against this,that or the other because they can still catch it,my response is that it is a VERY much milder dose than they would normally get. I remember my DM telling me about when my 2 older brothers had measles at the same time,(aged 6 and 3) back in the early 60s,a couple of years before I was born. She said they were very ill with it,were in bed for a week,and couldn't bear any bright lights in the first few days. The vaccine was introduced in 1963 or 64,and I was one of the first to have it at the age of 13 months. My DM jumped at it when it was offered! It must have still been working 28 years later when my DD caught it as I didn't get it!

I didn’t mean to offend. I meant immigration has contributed to a rise of other diseases in the U.K. the following was taken from a site about tb:

In 2016;
There were 5,664 TB cases
39% of cases were in London
74% of cases were among non-UK born people

So I correlated this information to the possibility of a rise in other diseases. I also agree that parents depending on herd immunity are irresponsible. I don’t they should be forced to immunise but I do think they should forfeit their place at a government run school as they refuse at the expense of other, often vulnerable, children.

There were 5 cases of measles in Leeds.

The weekly NOIDS report shows there are fewer cases of measles (on a weekly cumulative basis) than there were last year in E/W.

This is a remarkably small number to be described as an outbreak. In the recent past, that has been used when number of cases reaches about 20-30, which is actually not an uncommon figure for a localised outbreak to reach - and which is indeed worrying as it could move rapidly to very high numbers or wider area from there. Warning before new cases reaches double figures seems a bit premature.

One of the cases in Leeds is in a friends child's nursery, so I suppose it feels very close for us.

If you know someone who has caught it, it will be far more conspicuous (such as when there was a bit of a shock when a child in reception at our school went down with rubella, despite having been immunised fully and on time).

And all big outbreaks start as little ones, but little ones do not necessarily become big ones. Clumps of cases (in single figures) are actually quite common. I don't know if there are any concerning local features to how/where the cases in Leeds are presenting which has lead to warnings at what is still a low case number.

I had such a bad reaction to the measles injection i was banned by the gp from having the mumps one so hope no mumps outbreak. Do you think its safer as an adult to have the mumps injection. I had a fit after the measles one as a baby.

londonrach I don't think single mumps jabs are currently available.

When were you vaccinated as a child? Which sort of jab? It might be worth talking to your GP (perhaps seeking referral to a specialist) to see if the current MMR would be safe for you.

I wonder whether the premature warning might be because they know it’s in an area with a low vaccination uptake so a small number of cases could easily become a bigger number of cases.

Or maybe because the UK has recently been declared to have eliminated measles.

I agree that people have become complacent. Within my tiny circle of acquaintances as a child in the 1950s I knew three children and one adult who had been seriously disabled by polio. The children all wore calipers. I also knew a couple who could not have children because the husband had contracted mumps shortly after their wedding. I had measles, German measles, chicken pox and mumps as a child. Mumps in particular was utter misery.
Some people have no idea.

“Or is it that we've forgotten what these diseases are really like?”

I think this is a huge part of it. Anyone who is swithering over vaccinations for whatever reason won't be thinking "Well, Mary's boy died if measles..." or "Mrs M (my gr-granny) lost 7 of her 9 to measles". It's just a rare, normally mild thing to people now.

There was an outbreak at DS's nursery when he was little. A kid who couldn't be vaxxed for legit reasons caught measles. Due to aforementioned gr-granny I was terrified when DS caught it (despite being fully vaxxed). The parents of the other child who also caught it were very 'meh' about it.

And I imagine cases like that don't help locally. Three caught it, including one comprised kid, and they were all ok. People don't appreciate that that's very lucky.

Vaccines are not 100%. I had the rubella one at school but a blood test during my first pregnancy 10 years later showed that it had worn off. I didn't need the protection at 13 but I did at 23.